


June 1st

by grindeldore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-18 01:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7293319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grindeldore/pseuds/grindeldore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened that summer in Godric's Hollow after Kendra Dumbledore died and Albus met Gellert. "It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." Set during HBP and 1898</p>
            </blockquote>





	June 1st

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry I've taken so long to update! I've been doing my GCSEs, but now that they're (almost) over, I'll be able to update a lot more often. Please comment any suggestions or any of your thoughts about this series if you want. Thanks!

“You’re insane,” laughed Albus as he shovelled dirt into a big pile, making room for the vegetable patch that Aberforth promised he would look after, but Albus knew that the duty to feed the family would eventually fall to him. 

“How am I insane?” Gellert said with a smile, though there was no hint of humour in his voice as he watched Albus drip with sweat in the hot sun. 

“All of this! The Hallows, Ignotus, becoming the ‘Master of Death’!” Albus replied, his stomach hurting from laughing so much. 

“I’m serious, Albus. It’s all true! I know it is!” Gellert told him, his voice higher and filled with wonder and joy at the thought, “I’ve told you everything I know, so why don’t you believe me yet?”

“It’s just a lot to take in,” Albus took a break from his labour, threw the shovel down, and fell clumsily onto the grass next to where Gellert stood, leaning against the tree. 

“I know it is, Albus, but together, me and you, we could become the Masters of Death, and we could rule everything!” Gellert sat down next to his friend and pulled a strand of Albus’ sweat soaked hair from his forehead and brushed it behind his ear. 

“’Rule everything’,” echoed Albus, closing his eyes as he leant his head back against the lawn, a goat bleated in the near distance, and the young man could hear Aberforth coaxing the animal into the far pasture. 

\------

Dumbledore sighed at the memory, his first actual conversation about the Hallows with the friend with whom he would discover them, all of them, in just one long summer. There was a knock at the door and in walked Minerva McGonagall, her emerald cloak shimmering in the low light of the study. 

“Albus,” she said, and the elderly man nodded at her in reply, “Katie Bell has been taken to St Mungo’s.”

“The Gryffindor Chaser?” Albus asked, raising his eyebrows, “Why?”

“She was cursed, Albus, by a necklace -” she looked as though she was about to continue, but was cut off by the Headmaster’s deep sigh. 

“That is most unfortunate, Minerva,” he said, “Most unfortunate.”

“She has no idea who gave it to her, and Potter immediately accused the Malfoy boy, even though he was in detention with me,” McGonagall reported, and waited for a reaction, though none was evident. 

“Thank you for telling me, Minerva. I trust you will relay our deepest sympathies to both the girl and her parents?” 

Minerva nodded in reply and turned and left, sensing she had overstayed her welcome. Dumbledore sat down behind his desk and picked up his wand, the Elder Wand, and twirled it through his fingers with care and ease. 

\------

“How, in Merlin’s name, have you not finished yet?” chuckled Gellert as he strode down the porch steps. 

“It’s hard, alright?” laughed Albus in reply, wiping his sweat-soaked forehead with the back of his hand. 

“Why don’t you just use magic?” Gellert asked, “It will be much easier and so, so much faster!” 

“I don’t know, there’s just...” he trailed off and only continued when prompted by Gellert, “There’s something more satisfying doing it by hand. Magic isn’t good for everything, y’know?” 

“Not good for everything,” Gellert laughed as he whipped out his wand, a 9 inch Hawthorne one, beautifully carved, with what looked like a dragon heartstring core. He waved it through the air and watched as the remaining soil leapt from the ground and onto the pile. 

“Well, thanks, but I could have done it, you know?” Albus said with a sheepish grin. 

Gellert walked over, pocketing his wand, and tousled Albus’ long brunette hair. 

“Hurt your manhood, did I?” he smirked. 

Albus laughed and shoved Gellert away, feeling his ribcage underneath the thin cotton shirt. The younger boy fell onto the dirt pile with a dull thud, and, wasting no time getting to his feet, the European flourished his wand, and sparks flew out the end, his eyes ablaze with excitement, before bursting into tiny fireballs in front of Albus’ face. 

The Englishman, too, brandished his own wand, and a wave of force hit Gellert, who was still laughing from his own magic, throwing him further back, where he tumbled into the grassy pasture several metres from where he originally fell. Gellert stood, dirt smudged along his prominent cheekbones, and was about to bellow an exotic, and perhaps questionable, jinx, before a loud crash from inside the house stopped them both like stone. 

Aberforth came running down the stairs and threw open the front door. 

“Stop that!” he hissed, “She doesn’t like it when you fight like that!” 

“Like what?” Gellert laughed in amusement, “We’re only playing games, Aberforth!” 

“Well, stop playing games, then,” he scowled at the elder boy and, ignoring his brother completely, slammed the door shut, shaking the wooden frame, and his footsteps could be heard retreating back up the stairs. 

Gellert burst out laughing. 

“Stop,” Albus ordered, looking confused at his friend. 

“Not you, too!” wheezed Gellert, holding his stomach from laughing so hard, “It’s only a game, you fool! It’s only a game.”


End file.
